


How Far We've Come

by VisionaryGalaxy



Series: A Thousand Futures of Me and You [64]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, And Now For Something Completely Different, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys In Love, Cheating, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Don't copy to another site, Fluff and Angst, Lack of Communication, M/M, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 07:33:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisionaryGalaxy/pseuds/VisionaryGalaxy
Summary: Don't mind this one. A friend asked me to do it and I liked the concept so I'm just having fun with it ;)I'll put a summary when it's done.





	How Far We've Come

**Author's Note:**

> Like the summary said. Just something for me to mess around with at my own leisure.

   Stephen sipped the long flute of champagne in his hand, eyes carefully tracking Tony’s progress through the small party. He had arrived relatively quietly, easily escaping the man’s notice in an attempt to strike up conversation with other patrons, well-aware that once he was spotted it would be near impossible to shake the man. Not that he wanted to avoid him exactly, but doing it this way was less suspicious, made it easier to appear as though he hadn’t come just for him.

   He leaned against the wall behind him, his free hand pushed into his pant’s pockets, head lowered just enough to appear unapproachable while Tony spoke quietly to people, his arm looped through Diana’s, who laughed and didn’t even notice the way Tony’s eyes would scan the room at the end of every sentence. He wasn’t being very tactful tonight and while it thrilled Stephen to see the man so eager, it was also frustrating, what was the point in a secret affair if you were going to be so obvious about it? Eight months in and you would think Tony would have improved but alas it was to no avail.

   Warm whiskey eyes landed on his and the way they lit up made a spark go through Stephen, something he beat back harshly as he simply nodded at him in acknowledgement. Predictably, Tony murmured something into his wife’s ear, she threw a glance at Stephen and smiled softly, another nod to her, and she was patting Tony’s arm as he disentangled himself and began making his way over.

   Soon enough the man himself was standing in front of him, grinning widely, eyes sparkling with something like mischief, “Dr. Strange.” He greeted warmly, pulling Stephen into a far too brief hug, a quick clap on the back, nothing out of friendly recognition.

   “Stark,” he answered in kind, pulling back and feeling a familiar flare of excitement as people milled around them, none the wiser.

   Tony leaned in some, under the guise of speaking over the music, “how was the trip to Cambodia? Did the medical relief go well?”

   Stephen felt a matching grin pull at his own lips, they were easy enough questions, the same ones he had been answering for the past hour with basic platitudes and assurances, but this charade was what he lived for. Tony was well-aware of how his trip was, having called and face-timed every third night, had listened to every detail with rapt attention the night Stephen had returned from the trip, naked and satiated in his bed.  

   “Surprisingly well, within days the worst was contained. The rest was just clean up and surgeries.”

   He nodded seriously, “that’s good, no chance you’ll have to return anytime soon then?”

   “Emergencies are unpredictable,” the same non-answer he had given the other night, the same frown glancing across Tony’s features.

   Tony opened his mouth to say something else when Diana walked up behind him and Stephen shot him a warning look. He didn’t miss the frustration the bloomed in Tony’s eyes as he turned to the man’s wife and pulled her into a hug, smiling as she said hello.

   “Stephen! I’ve been dying to see you since you got back, how was your trip?”

   He offered a little more detail to her inquiry, watching from the corner of his eyes the glower on Tony’s face, silently annoyed at having been interrupted. Tony was not a bad man, though lord knows his company wasn’t saint like, and he was exceptionally kind to his wife.

   It had been difficult for Stephen to reconcile the man’s good if flawed nature when they began this affair. He knew Tony loved his wife, had been in the peripheral during their entire courtship, listening to his friend complain and stress over their first date. But as time went on their incompatibilities became increasingly…obvious. Still, he was rarely unkind, and Stephen found himself glaring at Tony’s dower mood as he spoke to Diana. She was a good woman, sweet and nice but hardly industrious with her time, she had few ambitions that went beyond her charity work and education. Stephen found it difficult not to be consumed with guilt at moments like these, when she was smiling and chatting with him like the long-time friends they were, ignorant of the betrayal he was committing with her husband, he knew it wouldn’t be any consolation to know it wasn’t romantic so much as sexual.

   “Actually,” Tony butted in mid sentence. “Sweetheart do you mind if I steal Stephen away for a moment? I want to show him the mock ups for the new energy converter.”

   Her dark eyes landed on him, pitying and Stephen offered a good-natured grin. They were both completely inept when it came to Tony’s inventions and they both knew how it felt to suffer through his explanations. Though as Tony snagged his hand and began dragging him through the crowd, no one even giving them a second look, he suspected Tony was intent on something else entirely.

   The moment he was dragged into the study, adorned with dark mahogany wood in the form of goliath desks and cabinets, he shook his hand free, “I am not blowing you while there is a party going on in the next room.”

   Tony snorted, turning around, “that isn’t why I we came here,” he paused, those dark eyes landing on Stephen and sending a wave of heat through him. “But that would be really fucking hot.”

   Stephen valiantly ignored the way his cock twitched at Tony’s husky voice, “then why are we here? Didn’t we agree when it came to parties in your home to stay with the crowd?”

   Tony pouted, and Stephen wanted to roll his eyes. This arrangement, although going on for the better part of a year, wasn’t getting any easier. It was sex, it was all just sex inserted into their usual interactions as friends but for the past three months Tony had been pushing boundaries that Stephen didn’t even know he had. They were fucking more often, they were talking about nonsense even more, he sent him soft looks and smiles, showed up at his office with takeout, gave his opinions on Stephen’s work, seemed to actually enjoy just listening. It seemed to be getting further and further away from the detached sexual intercourse Stephen had agreed to, further and further away from something that wouldn’t threaten Stephen’s heart.

   Tony rounded the desk, ignoring him and fished out a little brown envelope, tied neatly with a red string, “this is why I brought you here,” he declared, holding it up like trophy.

   Stephen approached feeling weary, as he reached out and took the offered envelope. He unwound it and glanced inside, he froze. Eyes darting from the contents to Tony who ran a hand through his hair anxiously, refusing to look at him.

   He reached in and pulled out the recognizable stub, a plane ticket to an island in the Bahamas, one he knew was owned by Tony with his private beach house and secluded stretch of sand. His heart was beating fast, his mind struggling to keep up as he looked down at the piece of paper. He was never so grateful for the way his mind worked on auto-pilot, the words slipping out of their own accord, “you do realize that the whole sugar daddy thing doesn’t work when I’m rich too right?”

   Tony laughed, the invisible tension leaking away as Tony instinctively reached out to reel him into a kiss, a peck, nothing more, “oh, I know it, it would take a hell of a lot more then a little vacation to sway you.”

   It was said lightly, almost jokingly but Stephen caught a glint in Tony’s eyes, something subtle like he was seriously considering what it would take, as though he didn’t already have Stephen all to himself. He looked away, slipped the ticket back into the envelope and set it on the desk, which he leaned against a moment later, arms crossed. Tony came back around to stand in front of him, brows furrowed.

   “I’m not saying no, but I am asking why.” Stephen began carefully, the thought of spending a completely private weekend with Tony leaving him feeling an odd mix of anticipation and anxiety.

   He frowned, “I need a reason?”

   “Yeah, you do actually,” He motioned between them briefly. “we both know we’re workaholics. I’m willing to bet you can’t remember the last time you took a vacation, I know I sure as hell can’t. So, yeah this is weird for you.”

   Tony bit his lip and Stephen felt that anxiety grow, his instincts and long acquaintance with Tony warning him the man was up to something. Then, as though eternally exasperated by the world he tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling and stepped forward until Stephen instinctively spread his legs a little so the man was standing right in front of him, one hand absently running through Stephen’s hair, he let out a heavy sigh.

   “I haven’t seen you much since you got back from that trip and I just thought it would be a good idea to take a step back, especially before you head out again.” He looked down at Stephen, eyes warm with sincerity, the soothing petting of his hand lulling him into forgetting what a bad idea this could be. “What do you think?”

   In lieu of answering Stephen rested his hands-on Tony’s hips, his head fell forward until it was pressed to his sternum. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to just close his eyes and let Tony continue petting. He took a few deep breaths, tried to focus on the question, the fact that their affair had taken place almost exclusively behind closed doors or the privacy of Stephen’s own home. This felt different, even though by all rights Tony likely just wanted to not worry about it for a little while, go someplace they could fuck and relax and maybe forget the betrayal they were committing.

   If Stephen was honest, the real reason he was hesitating, why he had almost felt relieved when going away to Cambodia, was because he was fucking terrified. The more time he and Tony spent together, in and out of bed, the easier it was for his brain to pretend what they were doing was real, had substance beyond the thrill and sex. It was stupid and reckless to endanger what had been a decent friendship to start this friends with benefits kind of thing, to agree to this affair and now to let himself get sunk into the vortex that was Tony Stark, well-aware after all these years, that few ever made it out unscathed.

   Yet, Stephen had always been impulsive, worse then Tony in some ways. He made decisions fast and acted even faster, his brain barely keeping up with its definitions, equations, and warnings. It made him a great surgeon and a better leader. It was that and his indulgent tendencies that he had never bothered to try curbing, had never seen any harm in them, until now. Because now it was blowing up in his face and when he should be retreating as fast as he can, instead he tightened his grip and blew out his own hard sigh.

   “What will you tell Diana?”

   He could feel Tony relax where he was still pressed against him, his hand pausing to just hold the back of his head, Stephen idly wondered why he seemed so relieved.

   “Business trip, same old same old. Working on some new projects, it won’t be a surprise.”

   “Business trip with your surgeon friend?” Stephen asked sarcastically. “makes all the sense in the world.”

   Tony swatted his shoulder gently, “she won’t know you’re travelling with me. Must know basis and all that.”

   Ah, he meant Pepper, Rhodey and Happy, the only people besides Christine on his end that knew about their affair. Tony hadn’t outright told him they knew at first, but it hadn’t been difficult to deduce from their judgmental stares, though to be fair, the intensity of their silent dislike seemed to have finally eased a little.

   “Hmm, three days?”

   Tony leaned back a bit, his hand coming to rest on his chin where he tilted Stephen’s face up. He blinked up at the man from where he was still leaning on the desk, mildly confused by the almost adoring look in his eyes.

   “I thought you had a week-long vacation.”

   Stephen smiled lightly, “four days then, I need the rest for the paper on regenerative properties found in certain homeopathic remedies.”

   Tony raised an eyebrow, “I thought you always said that stuff is bullshit.”

   Stephen shrugged, “it is, but even the biggest lies start from a grain of truth.”

   Tony sighed and Stephen had to stifle a smirk as he leaned down, his fingers still holding him still by the chin, “four days it is.” He murmured, lips brushing against his.

   They had done this what felt like thousands of times by now, it was as easy as breathing to press up, to pull his hips closer until he could feel the beginnings of Tony’s cock stirring through his dress pants, to let Tony grip his hair, tugging just right and making Stephen groan.

   Two rapid taps at the door, however, had Stephen shoving him away, leg automatically coming up so he was crossing them, hiding his erection, while Tony stared at him looking slightly dazed, a sight that never failed to make Stephen grin triumphantly. The door creaked open and Stephen saw Pepper stick her head in, eyes already narrowed as if expecting them to be naked and fucking on the floor. To be fair, it wouldn’t be the first time.

   Tony glanced over and rolled his eyes at Pepper’s unimpressed glare, “two minutes Tony, Diana wants you to get the toast over with.”

   He waved a hand at her dismissively, “alright, alright, just a moment.”

   It clicked closed and Tony looked at him with a boyish smile, all trouble and adrenalin. Stephen refused to encourage that, instead levelling him with a meaningful look at the door, “and this is why we stay with the people during parties.”

   Tony shrugged, “Pepper saw us, she knew to cover.”

   Stephen deliberately had to suppress the wave of what could almost be described as self-loathing that sentenced made him feel, instead running his hand through his hair, trying to restore it to its original shape, “you go ahead, I’ll be out in a minute, if Diana asks just tell her I went to the bathroom or something.”

   “Right,” Tony adjusted himself slightly, but it wasn’t noticeable, hadn’t had the time to get fully hard before they were interrupted. “So, Friday then? I’ll send a driver to pick you up, I got the private jet for us, you’ll still need the ticket at the runway though.”

   Stephen just nodded, rolled his eyes at the warmth in Tony’s eyes before he slipped from the room, making his way to his wife’s side for the traditional party toast. Stephen for his part picked up the envelope from the desk, shook out the ticket, folded the paper with details about time, packing, weather, ect. He tucked them into the inner pocket of his jacket, patting it down to reassure himself it was there, even as his stomach twisted slightly at the thought of how the weekend might go.

   He was pulled from that thought, however, when the door clicked open again and he looked up only to be surprised to find Pepper standing there, in casual formal attire. She had chosen a black dress, it went just past her knees and was tastefully short-sleeved, because even thought this was a party and there were friends like himself attending, there was always board members creeping about.

   “To what do I owe the pleasure Ms. Potts?” he didn’t bother getting up from his perch on the desk, could already feel himself tensing defensively, not helped by her stiff posture and the arms crossed in front of her.

   “Tony offered you the trip right.”

   He blinked, unsure exactly why she was asking, she must have known, the detailed paper against his chest was certainly not researched or organized by Tony, “naturally.”

   “Your answer was?”

   His jaw clenched automatically, and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the acid from his tone, “I fail to see how that is any of your business.”

   She raised an unimpressed eyebrow, which Stephen would never dare admit was quite intimidating, “last I checked anything that involves Tony is my business.”

   “Wonderful, then you best ask him.”

   Her eyes narrowed, “shall I do that now, while he’s next to his wife?” she snapped.

   Stephen stood, refusing to sit there and take her verbal volleys, not that he didn’t think he deserved them, but he wasn’t one for threats, “you do that whenever you want to, I’m not going to stop you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Its different and will not be the norm in this series.


End file.
